David Cameron lays a wreath last Sunday. He was followed by Nick Clegg instead of Miliband

They
say protocol dictates that Mr Miliband, as leader of Her Majesty’s
Opposition, should have immediately followed Mr Cameron in placing his
wreath. Instead, he was relegated to third place.

One
senior Labour MP said: ‘The change this year was for the convenience of
Clegg – not for the respect of the dead. It’s also an insult to the
military veterans who regard Remembrance Day as a solemn and sombre
occasion, not a time for party political stunts and cheap posturing.’

The
apparent snub came after some Labour MPs were surprised when Mr Cameron
and Mr Clegg hogged the limelight at the previous evening’s Festival of
Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Mr
Miliband had been asked to give up his seat for Mr Cameron’s mother,
Mary. As a result, the Labour leader was left out of some television
pictures, while Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg could both be seen, though
there is no evidence this was intended.

One
Labour MP said: ‘When the PM’s mother turned up Ed was asked to move to
the back row of the box. He of course graciously agreed but the
Cenotaph change makes some of us suspicious this is all for the
political advantage of Nick Clegg.’

Last
night, No 10 pointedly refused to comment on the row, with an insider
later saying: ‘These claims are not worthy of any response.’

And the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which oversees the organisation of Remembrance Day, insisted that

Mr Miliband had been consulted over the wreath-laying arrangements and had raised no objection.

It
said the arrangements were handled by civil servants and that Mr Clegg
was moved ‘because he is also part of the Coalition Government’.

Mr
Miliband declined to comment on the dispute. A spokesman said only: ‘Ed
was deeply honoured to be part of the occasion and grateful for the
opportunity to pay his respects.’

The
order of laying wreaths is traditionally dictated by the size of
parliamentary parties, in line with a 1984 agreement approved by the
Queen and the Commons Speaker.